Siamese cat: Why it grows darker as it gets older

The Siamese is one of the most recognisable cats: a creamy body with darker face, ears, legs and tail, and piercing blue eyes. Its most intriguing trait is that kittens are born almost entirely white, and the darker colour appears as they grow. Let's meet it.

Its body

The Siamese is a "colourpoint" cat: the face, ears, legs and tail are dark while the rest of the body is pale. This pattern comes from a temperature-sensitive enzyme — cooler parts of the body (such as the face and limbs) produce more pigment, while the warmer torso produces less. So kittens are born almost white and the points darken as they grow. This trait is part of what makes the breed so fascinating.

It has a slender, athletic build and signature blue almond eyes. Its short, close-lying coat is fairly easy to care for.

Its personality and origins

The Siamese takes its name from Siam, the old name for Thailand. Colourpoint cats already appear in Thai "Cat-Book Poems" manuscripts from the 14th to 18th centuries. In 1878 the American consul in Bangkok sent a Siamese to President Hayes's family, making it among the first Asian breeds to reach the West.

Siamese are intensely people-oriented and inquisitive, love following their humans around and love to "talk" — their loud, low-pitched voice is often compared to a baby's cry. If you want an interactive cat, the Siamese is often a lovely choice.

A note for grown-ups

You could compare kitten and adult photos of a Siamese with a child: white as a baby, then the face darkens with age. Then explain simply that "body temperature affects colour" — helping a child see that genes and environment can work together to shape how something looks.